Core Viewpoint - The fiscal data for August 2025 indicates a slowdown in both revenue and expenditure growth, reflecting a need to boost domestic demand. Attention should be paid to the release of "quasi-fiscal" functions following the implementation of policy financial tools and the early allocation of new special bond quotas [1][3]. Revenue Summary - In the first eight months of 2025, national general public budget revenue grew by 0.3% year-on-year, with August's growth at 2%, down from 2.6% in July. The narrowing decline in PPI has alleviated the drag on tax revenue, while the income from securities transaction stamp duty has provided notable support. The internal growth momentum of the economy still needs enhancement, and macro policies require further strengthening [1]. - Corporate income tax revenue saw a significant rebound, primarily due to a low base from the previous year. Personal income tax and consumption tax revenue growth slowed, although personal income tax still performed well, while consumption tax remained at a low level. The high growth in securities transaction stamp duty revenue is linked to recent stock market activity. Additionally, vehicle purchase tax and land value-added tax revenues showed significant declines, while export tax rebate revenue growth rebounded, indicating a need to boost domestic demand [1]. Expenditure Summary - In the first eight months of 2025, national general public budget expenditure increased by 3.1% year-on-year, with August's growth at 0.8%, down from 3% in July, likely constrained by revenue. Expenditure in the livelihood sector continued to grow significantly, while infrastructure spending remained low. Social security, employment, and education expenditures maintained high growth rates, while spending on energy conservation, environmental protection, and transportation saw a substantial rebound, mainly due to a low base from the previous year. Expenditures in urban and rural communities, as well as agriculture, forestry, and water resources, experienced a widening decline [2]. Government Fund Summary - In the first eight months of 2025, national government fund budget revenue decreased by 1.4%, with August's growth at -5.7%, down from 8.9% in July. This decline is attributed to the pressure on the land market due to adjustments in the real estate market. Conversely, government fund budget expenditure grew by 30.0% year-on-year, driven by accelerated issuance and utilization of bond funds by various levels of government. In August, government fund budget expenditure increased by 19.8%, down from 42.4% in July, but still showed strong performance [2]. Policy Focus - Moving forward, it is essential for fiscal policy to continue to strengthen. The implementation of policy financial tools is expected to release "quasi-fiscal" functions, which may support the expansion of domestic demand. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance has indicated the early allocation of part of the new local government debt limit for 2026, aiming to utilize debt capacity proactively and address existing hidden debt [3].

Core Insights - The issuance of new special bonds in China has stabilized around 4 trillion yuan for 2023 and 2024 after reaching a historical high in 2022 [1][2] - Special bonds have become a crucial policy tool for local governments to stabilize investment and mitigate risks [2] - The issuance scale of new special bonds is projected to reach 44 trillion yuan by 2025, which is over 48 times the amount issued in 2015 [2] Group 1: Issuance Trends - The overall issuance of special bonds has seen rapid growth since 2015, but the growth rate has slowed down during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period compared to the "13th Five-Year Plan" [2] - The core reason for the slowdown in issuance growth is the need for special bond limits to align with government fund budget revenues and project returns [2] - The issuance of new special bonds reached nearly 2.2 trillion yuan by the end of June 2023, with a progress rate of 49.1%, surpassing the 37.2% rate from the previous year [5] Group 2: Allocation of Funds - The funds from new special bonds are primarily allocated to three main areas: project construction (1.5 trillion yuan, 69.6%), debt resolution (464.78 billion yuan, 21.5%), and land acquisition (192.49 billion yuan, 8.9%) [6] - Some provinces are directing a significant portion of new special bond funds towards resolving hidden debt and settling overdue payments to enterprises [6] - The recent policy changes have diversified the use of new special bonds, allowing them to be used for repaying overdue enterprise payments and addressing hidden debt, rather than being limited to projects with certain returns [6][7] Group 3: Policy Changes - The State Council's recent opinions have expanded the scope of special bond projects through a "negative list" approach, allowing more fields to receive support [3] - The 2025 issuance limit for new special bonds has been raised to 4.4 trillion yuan, reflecting a 10% increase to address economic stability and risk prevention needs [2][3] - The repayment sources for special bonds have also been broadened, allowing local governments to use general public budgets for repayment, enhancing financial flexibility [7]

Core Viewpoint - Sichuan Province will issue special refinancing bonds amounting to 11.541 billion yuan on May 20 to replace existing hidden debts [1] Group 1 - The issuance of special refinancing bonds is aimed at addressing the issue of hidden debts within the province [1] - The total amount of bonds to be issued is 11.541 billion yuan [1]